Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition of the wrist and hand. The carpal tunnel is a narrow tunnel of tissues that protects your median nerve. The median nerve provides feeling and movement in your thumb, index, middle and ring fingers. Sometimes people develop a median nerve entrapment where the other tissues in the tunnel, such as ligaments and tendons, get swollen. This pinching of the nerve from swelling and adhesions can cause pain or numbness in your hand.
What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Repetitive hand movements can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It is most common in people whose jobs or hobbies require pinching or gripping with a bent wrist. Sometimes it results from an injury to the wrist or a disease such as diabetes, thyroid disease or rheumatoid arthritis. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is also common during the last few months of pregnancy as the body tissues swell.
How can Dr. Laurie help?
Dr. Laurie has had great success with patients with mild, moderate and even some severe symptoms. Not all patients have avoided surgery but 90% have been able to regain motor function and relieve their pain and numbness through treatment. Dr. Laurie uses her Active Release Technique ® and Graston Technique ® to release the tissues and adhesions that are compressing the median nerve. She uses a Frequency Specific Micro-current machine to depolarize the nerve and sometimes the Pulse Electromagnetic Frequency machine that will send an electrical stimulus to the area to increase blood flow and allow the body to repair itself. Most patients see some relief in symptoms right away but several treatments may be necessary to keep the symptoms from recurring. Dr. Laurie’s philosophy is to teach her patients to avoid the behaviors that caused the injury when possible and she uses her training as an Exercise Physiologist to provide patients with home exercises to prevent injury recurrence.
If you or someone you know suffers from Carpal Tunnel syndrome make an appointment to start healing and relieving your symptoms. Also for some home exercises and to read more visit:
http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/ctexercise.htm and http://www.righthealth.com/topic/carpal_tunnel_exercises#ixzz1OyLN8Api
*Images courtesy of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
To learn more about Dr. Laurie, please visit http://www.austinfamilyandsportschiropractic.com/.
